u-pick farms and a simple fruit crisp

we recently spent an early morning at a blueberry u-pick farm. this is one of our favorite activities during the summer. we love spending time outdoors together at a local farm, picking gallons of berries to save for smoothies & desserts throughout the year. 

u-pick farms are much more affordable than purchasing a large amount of berries from the grocery store or farmers' market. we usually spend around $13 per gallon on u-pick berries versus the $26 per gallon at the farmers' market. it is also a wonderful activity to do with the entire family! we saw many families at the farm with each child holding a bucket while harvesting handfuls of berries.

when we harvest large amounts of berries, we usually only save a small basket of berries for fresh eating. we typically freeze the bulk of our berries. freezing berries is very simple. once the berries are cleaned, place them in one layer on a cookie sheet. place in the freezer & allow them to completely freeze. add your frozen berries to a plastic freezer bag & continue this process until you have frozen all of your berries! 

we also love a good, somewhat healthy fruit crisp. below is a favorite, simple recipe. you can use whatever berries you have on hand. raspberries, blueberries, blackberries & strawberries are all great choices. for this particular recipe, i used blueberries and strawberries.

simple fruit crisp

adapted from simply in season

6 cups of frozen or fresh berries

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons apple sauce

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup pecans or walnuts

preheat oven to 375F. mix berries together & pour into a deep pie dish. mix flour, rolled oats, coconut oil, applesauce, brown sugar, and nuts in bowl until mixture is crumbly. evenly sprinkle topping over fruit. bake in oven until the top is golden & berries are slightly bubbling, about 30 minutes. it might take a bit longer if fruit is frozen. serves 8.